We're Not Kidding with Mehdi & Friends

As one of the co-hosts of the massively popular podcast 'I've Had It', Jennifer Welch has made a name for herself as a sharp-witted, foul-mouthed, uncomfortable-truth-bomb-dropping political commentator. Whether you've seen social media clips of her ranting about Donald Trump's poorly applied makeup or watched her eviscerate Sen. Cory Booker on AIPAC during their viral interview, Jennifer is shaking up the way liberal media thinks about political punditry. Now, she joins Mehdi on 'We're Not Kidding' to talk about her political journey and rise to fame.  Once an "MSNBC liberal" from the Bible Belt, Mehdi and Jennifer discuss her evolution on issues like corporate influence on the Democratic party and Israel-Palestine. They also get into the recent dump of Epstein files, including Elon Musk's "pathetic" attempt to get an invite to Epstein's island on Christmas, and how Joe Biden and the Democrats once again fumbled the ball. "Merrick Garland had these files for four f*****g years and didn't do anything with it!" Jennifer says. The two also discuss: - How atheism influences Jennifer's politics (and religion influences Mehdi's!). - Why Trump appeals to evangelical Christians. - Scott Jennings, Jesse Watters, and why Republican men are "submissive." - Whether Epstein was a Mossad spy. - Which national Democrats should be "remodeled" and which should "retire." Subscribe to Zeteo to support independent and unfiltered journalism: https://zeteo.com/subscribe Watch, listen and subscribe to 'We're Not Kidding' on Substack: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends Find Zeteo: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews Find Mehdi: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan Find Jennifer: 'I've Had It': https://ivehaditpodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mizzwelch/?hl=en Credits: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Jennifer Welch Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

Aasif Mandvi broke more glass ceilings than you probably realize. If you watched 'The Daily Show' during the post-9/11 era, you likely already know the comedian and actor for his biting commentary on Islamophobia, George W. Bush, and the 'War on Terror'.  But did you know he was the political comedy show's first non-white cast member? Or that he served as the "Senior Middle East Correspondent" and "Senior Muslim Correspondent" even though he's not from the Middle East or a practicing Muslim? Now, Aasif joins Mehdi on the new episode of 'We're Not Kidding' in front of a live audience at the Sundance Film Festival for a wide-ranging conversation about being fellow immigrants, Muslim representation, Gaza, Donald Trump, ICE, Zohran Mamdani, as well as take some questions from the audience. Subscribe to Zeteo to support independent and unfiltered journalism: https://zeteo.com/subscribe Watch, listen and subscribe to 'We're Not Kidding' on Substack: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends Find Zeteo: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews Find Mehdi: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan Find Aasif: Twitter: https://x.com/aasif Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aasif Credits: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Aasif Mandvi Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

Noam Schuster-Eliassi is what some people might call a 'unicorn'.  She's an anti-Zionist, Jewish-Iranian Israeli who speaks fluent Arabic and grew up in a tiny village in Israel called the 'Oasis of Peace', where Jews and Palestinians voluntarily choose to live together. Noam is now the star of the new documentary 'Coexistence, My Ass!', which won the Special Jury Award at Sundance film festival last year. The film explores her political evolution from growing up as an Israeli poster-child of the "coexistence movement" to becoming a standup comedian determined to dismantle apartheid within Israel.  The two also discuss the contradiction of liberal Israelis who are critical of Netanyahu's anti-democratic government yet don't extend the same consideration to Palestinians living under apartheid, as well as the barrage of hasbara that Israeli society was exposed to after October 7.  Subscribe to Zeteo to support independent and unfiltered journalism: https://zeteo.com/subscribe Watch, listen and subscribe to 'We're Not Kidding' on Substack: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends Find Zeteo: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews Find Mehdi: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan Find Noam: Twitter: https://x.com/ShusterNoam Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noam_joon/ Credits: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Noam Shuster-Eliassi Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

On the day after Zohran Mamdani's historic election win, what better 'We're Not Kidding' guest could we ask for than New York City icon Ilana Glazer? The Jewish-American comedian, activist, and 'Broad City' creator joined Mehdi in midtown Manhattan to talk about what Mamdani's victory means for the future of US politics. The two also discuss the recent failures of the Democratic party and whether Mamdani's win has the power to finally push party leadership to embrace its populist flank. "Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries were not there celebrating last night," Ilana says. "A Democratic mayor won. They should be there celebrating." They also talk about someone else who was definitely not celebrating on election night — Debra Messing and her very public Instagram crash out. Ilana opens up to Mehdi about her feelings around the modern Jewish identity, particularly since Oct. 7. The two also discuss the weaponization of antisemitism by figures like Jonathan Greenblatt (who has already announced the Anti-Defamation League's 'Mamdani Monitor' to purportedly "keep Jewish New Yorkers safe"), while simultaneously ignoring the dangers of right-wing antisemitism espoused by people like Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson. Finally, Mehdi asks Ilana about speaking out against Israel's genocide in Gaza and the risks of receiving backlash or being censored. Subscribe to Zeteo to support independent and unfiltered journalism: https://zeteo.com/subscribe Watch, listen and subscribe to 'We're Not Kidding' on Substack: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends Find Zeteo: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews Find Mehdi: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan Credits: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Ilana Glazer Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

If you were a fan of the HBO series 'Succession' — then do we have a treat for you. On this new episode of 'We're Not Kidding', Mehdi is joined by Iranian-American actor Arian Moayed who played the scene-stealing character Stewy Hosseini on the hit HBO show. Mehdi and Arian unpack the ways our reality mirrors the fictional world of 'Succession', like how pro-Israel billionaire Larry Ellison, the world's second richest man, is buying up media companies Paramount, CBS News, and TikTok. Mehdi also challenges Arian to a new rapid-fire question game called, "Real Billionaire or 'Succession' Character?" As two naturalized US citizens, Mehdi and Arian discuss the recent military-style ICE raids in Arian's hometown of Chicago and the fears that many immigrant communities are feeling in the Trump era. Mehdi and Arian also get into the recent political history of Iran, including the 1979 revolution which led to Arian's family immigrating to the US when he was a child. Arian, an outspoken critic of the Iranian government, explains the importance of Iranian representation and self-determination and offers his own analogy for why Western governments should stay out of Iran's affairs.  Finally, the two discuss the two-year anniversary of Oct. 7 and the ongoing genocide in Gaza. As Arian was one of the earliest signatories on the Artists 4 Ceasefire letter in October of 2023, Mehdi asks if he feared retribution from Hollywood and the entertainment industry for being pro-Palestine. SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND ARIAN: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arianmoayed Waterwell: https://www.waterwell.org/ CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Arian Moayed Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

It's been six months since Mehdi and Bassem Youssef last recorded an episode of 'We're Not Kidding', so needless to say they had a lot to catch up on. And what better place to host their reunion than ArabCon 2025 in Dearborn, Michigan? During this very special LIVE taping, the duo get candid about the Trump administration's recent attacks on free speech, the potential of a Zohran Mamdani victory in New York City, and how much the world has changed (and sadly not changed) since Israel began its genocide in Gaza almost two years ago. Finally, the two take questions from the audience about the use of social media platforms complicit in genocide, whether either of them would travel to Israel for work, and how to build momentum for the BDS movement ('Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions'). Mehdi also gets asked a couple of pointed questions about condemning Hamas' attack on Oct. 7 and the killing of Israeli civilians — you don't want to miss his response. SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan= FIND BASSEM: Twitter: https://x.com/Byoussef Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bassem/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bassem CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Bassem Youssef Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

SPOILER ALERT: This episode includes plot details for the TV series 'Andor'. On this week's 'We're Not Kidding', Mehdi once again gets to do his two favorite things: have a substantive conversation about politics and fanboy on nerd culture. That's because this week's guest is award-winning Irish actor Denise Gough, who came to prominence on the 'Star Wars' TV series 'Andor' playing an intelligence officer in service of the fascistic Empire. But in real life Denise's politics are deeply anti-imperial as an outspoken advocate for Palestine and the people of Gaza.  Mehdi speaks with Denise about her breakout role on 'Andor' playing "one of the most compelling fascists [he's] ever seen on screen," and unpack the parallels between 'Andor' and the rise of fascism across the West right now. But unlike 'Star Wars', the "good guys" in many historical conflicts are often vilified by those in power. "It's very impressive when the good guys are doing it," Mehdi says. " But who defines who the good guys and the bad guys are?" The two then discuss Denise's advocacy work and the historical connection between Ireland and Palestine. "[Ireland] lived under occupation for hundreds of years," Denise says. She goes on to recount her recent trip to the occupied West Bank and witnessing Israel's apartheid firsthand. "I've seen things that are undeniable," a visibly emotional Denise says. From the military checkpoints and fences in Hebron, to Palestinian homes barred in steel to protect against settler attacks, to handmade jewelry carved from Israeli military tear gas canisters. "There isn't a person in the world that would be able to convince me what is happening there is a democracy." SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND DENISE: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisegough1/?hl=en CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Denise Gough Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali Special thanks: Khaleel Rahman

On this week's 'We're Not Kidding' Mehdi sits down with an actual superhero. No, not the Incredible Hulk from Marvel's 'The Avengers' —  he's a pretend super hero. The real-life superhero we're referring to this week is the award-winning Hollywood actor and activist Mark Ruffalo. For over two decades, Mark has been one of the most politically courageous actors in Hollywood, having spoken out against the fracking industry, US imperialism, Donald Trump, and the genocide in Gaza.  The two talk about Mark's political evolution, from being raised in a household with three different religions to getting involved in the anti-war movement during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. When discussing Trump's second term and rising fascism here in the US, Mark doesn't mince words when it comes to the tepid opposition from Democratic party leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. Mark says, before also launching into a scathing critique of the notoriously pro-Israel House Democrat Ritchie Torres. Finally, Mehdi asks Mark about his years-long advocacy for Palestine and the elaborate "propaganda machine" deployed by Israel and its allies, as Mark is no stranger to being attacked for his pro-Palestine views. Now almost two years into Israel's genocide in Gaza, Mark gets deeply emotional when discussing the human cost of the conflict. SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Mark Ruffalo Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali Special Thanks: Khaleel Rahman

Mehdi is joined by Palestinian-Lebanese-American singer-songwriter-rapper Anees to talk about his activism on Gaza and his belief in the power of music to influence politics.Anees tells Mehdi about his winding career path of going to law school, passing the bar exam, and delivering pizzas for 10 years. After getting his big break during an Instagram livestream with superstar Justin Bieber, Anees made the leap from up-and-comer to professional musician.  Growing up in a half-Palestinian, half-Lebanese household with a father who worked in civil rights, Anees explains to Mehdi how making political music isn't even a conscious choice for him. Though when it comes to other famous musical artists, including a well-known Palestinian (cough cough, DJ Khaled), Anees has his own thoughts as to why some celebrities choose to stay out of the political fray.  When discussing US lawmakers and Israel, the duo unpack the mixed signals coming from progressives like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and whether purity tests on the left are helpful or harmful. Finally, Mehdi and Anees discuss the possibility of Zohran Mamdani winning the New York City mayor's race and the shockwaves it would send to the political establishment.  SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND ANEES: Website: https://www.aneesofficial.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anees/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anees?lang=en CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Anees Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali Special thanks: Khaleel Rahman

In the last 20 years, Middle Eastern representation in American culture has gone from absolutely horrendous to… somewhat decent. Instead of TV shows like '24' and 'Homeland', we now have 'Ramy' and 'Mo'. But before ANY of that, there was Iranian-American comedian Maz Jobrani, this week's co-host of 'We're Not Kidding', who has been paving the way for Middle Eastern comics since the late 90s.  In this heartfelt conversation, Maz tells Mehdi about his lifelong struggle of representing his home country while trying to assimilate to American culture. Maz also discusses the challenges of beginning his comedy career during the post-9/11 era, and being a part of the groundbreaking 'Axis of Evil' comedy tour during a time of rampant Islamophobia in the US.  Maz and Mehdi also unpack Donald Trump's "inhumane" immigration policy of mass detentions and deportations. As an outspoken advocate for immigrant rights, Maz slams the Trump admin for its abject cruelty and stupidity.  SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND MAZ: Twitter: https://x.com/MazJobrani Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mazjobrani TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mazjobrani CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Maz Jobrani Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali Outlining: Khaleel Rahman Research: Selma Zuaiter

Last week, Mehdi and Zeteo concluded our five-city tour, so we obviously had to end with a special LIVE taping of 'We're Not Kidding' and audience Q&A with returning co-host Alana Hadid — an activist, designer, and Creative Director of the Palestinian film company Watermelon Pictures.  Mehdi and Alana also discuss Israel's now 20 month-long genocide in Gaza and the worsening humanitarian conditions on the ground, including the Israeli military's regular killings of Palestinians seeking food at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid sites. The two also speak about the recent ICE raids in Los Angeles and the massive protests that erupted in response, Ted Cruz making the US-Israel relationship "Instagram official" during his Tucker Carlson interview, and the success of the documentary film 'The Encampments' produced by Watermelon Pictures and Macklemore, featuring now freed political prisoner Mahmoud Khalil. Also be sure to check out the Q&A that begins 32 minutes into the episode. Zeteo subscribers asked Mehdi and Alana important questions about the weaponization of religion, Israel's pinkwashing, and Benjamin Netanyahu's endgame — one questioner even challenged Mehdi's own political views!  SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND ALANA: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lanzybear/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alanahadid?lang=en Watermelon Pictures: https://www.watermelonpictures.com/ CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Alana Hadid Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

Since the launch of 'We're Not Kidding', Mehdi has sat down with some of the most multi-talented multi-hyphenates working in entertainment and media. But few wear as many caps as this week's guest co-host, Yasmin Elhady — a Libyan-Egyptian-American standup comedian, lawyer, and co-host of the popular Hulu TV series 'Muslim Matchmaker'. But before she was a famous TV host, Yasmin tells Mehdi about her experience as a Muslim immigrant growing up in Alabama and the bullying she encountered. Mehdi and Yasmin also discuss the ways in which Muslim representation in American culture has gotten better over the last several decades, but how there's still room for improvement. As the co-host of the TV series 'Muslim Matchmaker', Yasmin tells Mehdi how important getting the opportunity to show a different side of Muslim life meant to her. Yasmin also explains to Mehdi why she chose the dual path of lawyer and comedian, how her matchmaking career began with finding a wife for her brother, why she thinks Colonel Gaddafi was the "gayest dictator who's not gay" and whether Mehdi bears a resemblance to the 1980s-era McDonald's mascot, The Hamburglar.  SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND YASMIN: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminelhahahady/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yasmin_elhady CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Yasmin Elhady Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

It's been almost four months (!) of Donald Trump's second term and it's become nearly impossible to keep track of the president's unhinged behavior. Fortunately, Mehdi and political analyst Molly Jong-Fast, host of the 'Fast Politics' podcast, take on the task of rounding up Trump's most insane recent moments on this week's 'We're Not Kidding'. They also call out the media for its lax coverage of Trump's mental state and possible cognitive decline. Mehdi and Molly also talk about the Trump administration's repression of free speech on college campuses, compare the media coverage of Trump versus Joe Biden, and take some shots at the Republican-led Congress. "They are run by complete incompetence," Molly says.  SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Molly Jong-Fast Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

It's been one whole year since the launch of 'We're Not Kidding', and for our anniversary episode Mehdi is joined by comedian and internet superstar Gianmarco Soresi. As a half-Italian, half-Jewish comedian, Gianmarco has become famous for the viral social media clips of his standup comedy, as well as his outspoken criticism of Israel. He and Mehdi unpack how the silencing of pro-Palestine voices can contribute to rising antisemitism. The two also discuss the hypocrisy of Donald Trump and the Republican party, who claim to be defenders of free speech while simultaneously detaining student activists for their political activity or opinions. Finally, Mehdi and Gianmarco go on an extended rant about the "anti-woke" comedy movement and how its ringleaders like Joe Rogan and Bill Maher have completely sold out to powerful political figures like Donald Trump. "We're watching huge comedians toe the line for the President," Gianmarco says. "Well, then you're not a f*****g comedian anymore — You're a propagandist." SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND GIANMARCO: Twitter: https://x.com/GianmarcoSoresi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gianmarcosoresi TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gianmarcosoresi CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Gianmarco Soresi Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali Special thanks to: Mohammed Abdelbary

On this week's 'We're Not Kidding', Mehdi is joined by award-winning actor, activist, and Zeteo contributor Cynthia Nixon for an impassioned conversation about rising fascism under Donald Trump and the lawlessness of ICE, which Cynthia calls a "terrorist agency." Mehdi and Cynthia unpack Trump's assault on US higher education, the 'disappearings' of international student activists, and the lack of opposition from the Democratic Party. Finally, the Democratic primary for New York City Mayor is underway and Cynthia has some strong opinions about two of the candidates. First, there's former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (Cynthia's former opponent from the 2018 gubernatorial race) who's currently polling first even though he resigned from office in disgrace amidst multiple scandals. Then, there's New York State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani who's running a progressive and grassroots campaign and has not had to resign from office in disgrace due to multiple scandals. Listen now to find out which candidate Cynthia prefers! SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Cynthia Nixon Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

It's been almost two months since Mehdi and Bassem co-hosted 'We're Not Kidding' together and A LOT has happened since then. As two naturalized US citizens, Mehdi and Bassem co-host again, starting off the conversation discussing the Trump administration's arrests of international residents in the US who dare to criticize Israel.  The two also discuss Israel breaking the ceasefire deal (Bassem compares Israel to ex you keep expecting better from) and its renewed attacks on Gaza, which have killed over 700 Palestinians in just three days with full political support from the Trump administration. Bassem also points out the inherent hypocrisy of US foreign policy throughout modern history – and how they're each coping with it (or not).  SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND BASSEM: Twitter: https://x.com/Byoussef Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bassem/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bassem?lang=en CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Bassem Youssef Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

They first bonded over their shared love of Nando's — now Mehdi and UK comedian Nish Kumar reunite to talk about their shared contempt for the Trump administration. The two sat down in Washington DC to discuss UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's disastrous visits to the White House and the childish behavior of US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Mehdi and Nish also weigh in on the current debate raging in the UK over who gets to claim 'English' identity. Is Rishi Sunak English? Is 'English' an ethnic identity? Is this just racism disguised as legitimate debate? The two also dig into the nature of 'American' identity and Donald Trump's attempts to revoke birthright citizenship in the US.  SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND NISH: Twitter: https://x.com/MrNishKumar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrnishkumar/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnishkumar CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Nish Kumar Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

Live from New York — it's 'We're Not Kidding'! This past week, Mehdi traveled to the 'On Air Fest' in Brooklyn for a very special LIVE taping of 'WNK' with award-winning sports journalist and broadcaster Jemele Hill. You may remember Jemele from the first Trump administration, when political 'nepo baby' and then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called for ESPN to fire Jemele for calling Donald Trump a white supremacist.  In this wide-ranging conversation, Mehdi and Jemele discuss Trump and Elon Musk's recent attacks on the press and the dangerous behavior of mainstream journalists who value access over solidarity. They also dig into the crucial intersection of sports and politics, including Trump's historic Super Bowl appearance, the capitulation of (some) professional sports leagues, the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics, and whether the NFL is responsible for Trump running for president. "To be honest, I sort of blame the NFL because we have to deal with Trump in this capacity," Jemele says. Intriguing, right?  SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND JEMELE: Twitter: https://x.com/jemelehill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jemelehill/ 'Spolitics' with Jemele Hill: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-spolitics-222755070/ CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Jemele Hill Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali Special thanks: Stephen Wentzell

Mehdi is once again joined by 'We're Not Kidding' powerhouse Bassem Youssef for a raw and honest conversation about the state of the world. To steal a phrase from MAGA Republicans speaking about Donald Trump — "Daddy is home." Mehdi and Bassem unpack the first few weeks of Trump's second term, including the escalating violence in the West Bank occurring during the "fake" Gaza ceasefire.  The two also debate whether the US empire is beginning to collapse, if organized resistance movements are at all effective, and if Trump and the Republicans are more honest than Joe Biden and the Democrats. "You prefer to deal with the wolf rather than the wolf in sheep's clothing," Mehdi asks Bassem, who also shares his opinion on Elon Musk's controversial hand gesture and his uniquely noxious flavor of South African racism. SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends SNAG ZETEO'S BRAND NEW MERCH: https://shop.zeteo.com/ FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND BASSEM: Twitter: https://x.com/Byoussef Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bassem/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bassem?lang=en CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Bassem Youssef Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

'We're Not Kidding' is back! After a not-very-relaxing holiday break, Mehdi is joined by tech and online culture journalist (and new Zeteo contributor!) Taylor Lorenz to discuss the new age of American oligarchy. Trump is back in office and his inauguration was a star-studded showcase of spineless tech billionaires.  Mehdi and Taylor also unpack the dumbfounding blunder of Democrats' TikTok ban, why private ownership of social media platforms by "red-pilled billionaires" is actually BAD for free speech, the MAGAfication of Elon Musk, and whether Mark Zuckerberg looks cool now. Taylor also pushes back against the argument made by Zeteo guest writer Will Stancil, who called for Democrats to go to war with social media companies. "Then just get on board with Republicans! This is the problem, is people like that. That is so stupid!"  SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND TAYLOR: Twitter: https://x.com/TaylorLorenz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorlorenz/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@taylorlorenz CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Taylor Lorenz Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali Special thanks to: Stephen Wentzell